neverland3

I'm at Kaiser Fremont. My home Kaiser is Kaiser Santa Clara.

I met with my Dr. in early November. I attended the next Overview Class, which was in early January. After a few hiccups, I attended the Orientation class at Fremont in mid-February. I met with my surgeon, a nutritionist, and a program coordinator in early March. During March I took the required tests and shots (x-ray, EKG, anemia test and a tetanus shot) and began attending support classes at Kaiser Fremont. In late March, I called to schedule my psych appt when I was within 5 lbs. The appointment was about a month out, but I was able to take a cancellation appt within a couple of days. I also completed and mailed a short test that showed I had read the booklet provided at the Orientation meeting. All I have left to do is lose 4 lbs. The psych told me it can take a few weeks for the Dr. to review the file and call to schedule the surgery. I plan to call when I have reached my goal weight, which I hope will be one day next week. Because my schedule is very flexible, I hope to get a surgery appt fairly quickly since I can take a cancellation appt if one becomes available.
The book provided at Orientation class has been very helpful. I photocopied the pages I needed most:

I took the Vitamin page with me to shop for Vitamins and referred to it when filling my pill holder the first couple of times. I posted the sample pre-op diet on the fridge. I refer to the sample foods page when planning my meals. I start each week with a blank diet journal page and fill it out at each meal. I took the Protein powder page when I shopped for Protein Powder.
I am doing well at preparing for surgery.

I am taking 20-30 minutes to eat each meal and following the pre-op diet very closely, with a little cheat about once a week. I am taking the vitamins. I am working out 5 days a week. I have given up coffee. Thank goodness I quit smoking 20 years ago! One less thing to do before surgery :-) I have tested protein powders. I have attended a support group a couple of times and plan to continue (Kaiser Fremont, 2nd and 4th Friday evening at 6) This week I am concentrating on sipping my Water throughout the day. I have bought a pretty carafe that holds 48 oz. and I have started using a smaller glass. The psych recommended setting the glass down between sips to prevent gulping the water down.
I am so grateful to Kaiser for having so much education about the process and how to prepare. I am still a bit scared, but all the prep helps me feel like I am doing everything I can to be successful.
I don't know how to move this topic, but it is a better fit in a forum besides the post-op one. I only saw it because i was looking through post-op questions to get a better feel for issues I might be facing in the days and weeks following surgery.
Lynda